@Ned Carey Ned the only difference in our market is that the competition is SO KEEN  and these are semi rare.. that I usually just buy it first.. then work down the food chain... but these are in all cases that I do SCREAMING deals  LOL.s.. so you can stub your toe and still do fine.

@Jessica Zolotorofe   this can happen in any transaction.but lets just talk about reality.in our markets were your competition will close in a few days.. what are you to do. ???

You ARE looking a large cities that there is a TON of competition in right now and we are just kick starting buyer's retail sales season.Look in your backyard to start...just my two cents...

@Monica George Flipping is very competitive in Southern California, getting your agent's license is helpful, but you will have to dig through a ton of listings and invest a lot of time to find a deal that works well.

But I also look at listing comps (the competition and/or what's not selling if high days on market), foreclosure comps (any foreclosures nearby that could have an impact), and neighbor comps (is this property overbuilt or underbuilt for the area).3.

Renting in Central OH is becoming ever more expensive making owning a home more attractive.According to msn.com 6 of Ohio’s cities made “The 50 Most Competitive Housing Markets of 2015” Columbus OHYoungstown, OHAkron OHCincinnati OHDayton OHToledo OHAll of these factors have made Ohio a great place for real estate investors in Ohio and has caught the ear of wall street.

The tool looks at average nightly, weekly and monthly income, competition and local laws etc to determine the optimal locations and price points..

In researching, I found the low activity is contributed to 4 major factors:i) start of schoolii) increased competition from new builders (priced about 10-15% higher)iii) lack of a swimming pool (to cater to the younger ones)iv) price point ($450k)*There are 3 comparables that have dropped the price by $40k over the last 30-45 days, but are still remain under ACTIVE status.I am prepared to wait till demand picks up a little or the right buyer comes along.  

Tubs are good for washing babies, dogs, hand laundry, and lots of other stuff, and unless you are going all out with high-end custom showers with built-in seating, glass doors and the like, I predict it will put you at a competitive disadvantage. 

I had college rentals and if you have a nice place with competitive rents, your tenants should renew leases until they graduate.